


How It Could Have Gone...

by Creej



Category: White Collar
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 20:56:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17874728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creej/pseuds/Creej
Summary: This is an alternate ending for When Will I See You Again? that begins after Elizabeth and Neal return from Europe and their first visit to the hospital. Most of this story is a ret-con of the original.





	How It Could Have Gone...

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: this story is not so nice to Elizabeth so if you ship her and Peter you may not like where this story goes.

Elizabeth sat on the couch, glass of wine held absently in one hand, her mind on the day she and Neal had gotten back from Europe and visiting Peter in the hospital. She hadn't expected his reaction, hadn't expected his anger and she'd seen Neal's hurt, his confusion when Peter had lashed out at them. Privately, she thought he'd been unfair. After all, she and Neal had spent time together without him with his tacit blessing.

With a sigh, she set her glass down, admitting - if only to herself - that perhaps Peter had a right to be angry with them. Three months with no word except one short message. But she found she couldn't feel guilty about keeping him in the dark. She'd realized early in their time together that she didn't want to share Neal with anyone, not even her husband, despite the promise they'd made in the weeks before Neal's tracker came off. Compared to Neal, Peter was...staid, unimaginative, plain and, while not completely vanilla in bed, refused to do anything outside his comfort zone. Neal, on the other hand, was charming, gorgeous and was an adventurous, athletic lover. Could she really be blamed for wanting that all to herself? She didn't think so.

She let her mind return to Europe - Paris, London, Venice, Copenhagen - smiling when she remembered Neal's face as he recounted stories of his (alleged) crimes, the wicked, mischievous glint in his eyes at having out-thought Peter. How he'd shown her the sights, the best restaurants and cafes...the nights spent making love in elegant, almost opulent hotels.

They'd been in Venice when she'd seen the message but waited until Neal was out before she listened to it, listened as a terse Jones told her that Peter had been critically wounded in a take down gone sideways, listened as he told her he might not pull through. She hadn't known how to feel about the possibility she could be a widow. On one hand, Peter had given her fifteen good years but if he didn't make it, there would be no possibility of having to share Neal. She'd debated with herself about telling Neal about the shooting, decided not to, telling herself she didn't want to worry him. The real reason - the one she kept buried - was that she hadn't wanted Peter to intrude on the bubble she shared with Neal, even second hand through a message.

It was more than a week later that Neal found out after he'd lifted her phone ("Just keeping in practice," he'd said with a charming smile and a hint of devilment). The amusement disappeared when he saw the message, fear replacing the devilment in his eyes when he listened. He'd insisted they return home as soon as they could and Elizabeth couldn't object. So she'd endured hours in airports, longer in flight, dealt with the hassle of Customs, just wanting to go home, shower and maybe get a few hours of sleep. But Neal had insisted on going straight to the hospital, wanting - needing - to see Peter...only to be told to leave. She'd gone along only because Neal had expected her to - he would have found it odd if she didn't act as concerned as he was. So she had, hiding her relief when they'd practically been thrown out of Peter's room.

Her eye was drawn to the wall, to the blank spaces where pictures once hung - every picture that had shown Peter was missing, just like his clothes, his personal items, even his beer. It had been something of a shock to see every trace of her husband erased from the house but she couldn't deny that it didn't bother her, that it was one less reminder of the promise they'd made. She accepted that Peter didn't want to be with them - that much had been clear at the hospital. Now she just had to get Neal to let go which she knew would be difficult. She silenced the part of her that said Peter's anger and hurt were justified because it was their fault - _her_ fault. That _she'd_ broken the promise, changed her mind...and should feel guilty...but she didn't.

She sighed again and sipped her wine. It had been more than three weeks since either of them had seen or talked to Peter and while she was fine with the state of affairs, she could see it was beginning to wear on Neal. Nothing radical but he was quieter than usual, not as engaged, more somber. And their lovemaking wasn't as...intense. Not that he left her wanting or unsatisfied but she could tell that part of him wasn't...present. She knew what - or who - he wanted but refused to talk to him about it, not wanting Peter to intrude even now. Especially now.

She was aware of Neal's almost constant attempts to get hold of Peter, knew that nothing had come of them, saw Neal's growing frustration. Peter refused to respond and she personally thought it was childish of him even though it suited her purposes. The longer Peter remained aloof, the more likely Neal would accept that the three of them would never be together.

At present, that didn't seem likely since once again, Neal was out - probably with Moz - trying to track down their wayward would be lover. She'd tried insinuating that it was Peter who'd changed his mind, Peter who wanted out but that just seemed to make Neal that much more determined to find him. Sometimes she hated how focused Neal could be when he set his mind to something. And right now, he was focused on finding Peter.

She drained her glass and stood. She'd just have to find a way to divert his attention from his obsessive search for Peter. It might take a while but she'd learn to subtly nudge Neal in the direction she preferred, just like she had with Peter.

 

"Tell me you found something, Moz," Neal said as he and his mentor sat on the terrace at June's.

"Sorry, mon frere," Moz said with a sigh. "The Suit seems to have a talent for disappearing that rivals yours."

"Have you tried the Federal Building?" Neal asked then added at Moz's 'Are you kidding me?' look. "Sorry but it's the only place I know he'd be."

"Why don't _you_ try?" Moz asked. "You're more comfortable in that environment than I'll ever be."

"Do you actually think he'd let me on the floor much less his office?" Neal asked. "He's pissed at us. He won't listen."

Moz sighed again. "As much as I hate taking his side, can you really blame him? You and Mrs. Suit disappeared with no word for three months, during which he got shot and almost died...and you don't show up for more than a week."

"We came back as soon as we got the message," Neal said. He considered his words then corrected himself. "As soon as we checked," he said. "We'd decided to unplug...just be together, no interruptions. El said Peter would understand. I believed her because why wouldn't I?"

"But you can understand why he feels the way he does," Moz said. "You left him alone, Neal. You hurt him. You both did." He sipped his wine. "Has Mrs. Suit had any luck?" he asked. "If he was going to talk to anyone, I'd think it'd be her."

"No better luck than I have," Neal said. He pulled out his phone, his finger hovering over the preset for Peter a few seconds before he tapped it. He waited as it rang, not surprised when it rolled over to voicemail...again. He hung up without leaving a message - he couldn't think of anything to say that he hadn't already said. Next he dialed Elizabeth and she answered on the second ring. "Hey. Any word on Peter?" he asked.

"Sorry sweety, no luck," Elizabeth said. She paused. "You know it's possible he changed his mind," she said gently.

"But he knows..." Neal said, hearing the slightly plaintive note in his voice. "He'd have told me, told _us_ if he had."

"Maybe he is telling us," Elizabeth said. "He won't reach out, he won't talk to us..."

"We hurt him, El," Neal said. "We excluded him."

"He said we could spend time together without him," Elizabeth said. "And now he's mad because we did."

Neal thought that over. It made sense but something didn't feel right to him. It could be just anger but it could also be hurt. But Elizabeth was right. He'd asked for time with just her and Peter had agreed to at least temporarily step aside.

"Neal honey?"

"Yeah, still here," Neal said.

"I know you miss him," Elizabeth said. "So do I but if he's determined not to be found then there's not much we can do. We have to respect his decision. Now, are you coming home for dinner? I have something special planned."

"Yeah, I'll be there," Neal said. "Love you."

"I love you too. See you soon."

 

Elizabeth let out a slow breath as she hung up, hoping that now Neal would give up on his near obsession to find Peter, hoping he didn't remember how old that message had been when he'd finally heard it, hoping he didn't figure out that she'd deliberately kept it from him. A lot to hope for, she knew - Neal was brilliant, more than capable of putting the pieces in the right order once he had enough of them and filling in those that were missing. But the longer Peter refused to speak to them, the easier it would be to convince Neal that Peter had cut them out.

 

"I think I know how to find Peter," Neal said a few days later. "Moz gave me the idea."

Elizabeth paused as she set a plate in front of him. "Neal...we've talked about this," she said. "It's likely he changed his mind and this is his way of telling us."

"But it's not like him to be so...passive aggressive," Neal said, pouring them each a glass of wine.

"He can be, sometimes," Elizabeth said, taking her seat across from him. "How many times has he given you the silent treatment, waiting for you to figure something out?"

Neal gave half a shrug, conceding her point. "I'd still like to see him, talk to him," he said. "Tell him I love him."

Elizabeth clasped her hands, seeing an opening. "Are you sure he loves you, though?" she asked. "His silence would indicate he doesn't. He won't return your calls, respond to your messages..."

"Messages," Neal repeated, mostly to himself, brow furrowed.

"Neal honey?"

"That message from Jones. The one about the shooting."

"What about it?" Elizabeth asked.

"That message was more than a week old when I heard it," Neal said, his gaze on Elizabeth. "And it wasn't a new message. It had been heard already." He saw Elizabeth to still for a second before she raised a brow. "You knew," he said. "You knew and you didn't tell me. You kept it from me. Deliberately. Why?"

"I didn't want you to worry," Elizabeth said, her attention suddenly on her meal. "Besides, there was nothing we could have done from halfway around the world."

"We should have been there," Neal said. "No wonder he's so angry. He thinks we don't care. He thinks we've cut him out." Suddenly the pieces fell into place - Elizabeth keeping the news of Peter's shooting from him, her acceptance of his silence, the equanimity at seeing no trace of Peter left in the house, her subtle discouragement to his finding him. "It's you who've changed your mind," he said, sliding away from the table, meal forgotten. "It's you who wants Peter out of the picture. Why?"

"Why? Because you chose me, Neal," Elizabeth said, frowning. "You chose me and he just...left - no objections, no nothing. Just packed his bags and left without a word."

"He gave me what I wanted at the time," Neal said, raising his voice a little. "I didn't choose you over Peter."

"Then why just me? You asked for me, _just_ me," Elizabeth said a bit angrily.

"Because I knew I could please you," Neal said. "I needed you to help me please him. I needed to know what you had that made him fall so deeply in love with you."

"So you used me," Elizabeth said.

"And you lied to me," Neal said. "And you tried to _con_ me."

"I didn't..."

"You can't con a con, Elizabeth," Neal said. "We know what to look for and I was the best. You've been trying to con me into believing Peter didn't care about me, about us but it's you who doesn't care. Is that really why you didn't want me calling or texting him while we were gone? You didn't want to be reminded that he was waiting for us?" He stood abruptly and stalked over to the coat rack.

"Where are you going?" Elizabeth demanded.

"Out," Neal said, shrugging into his jacket. "I can't be here right now." Without another word or backward glance, he left.

 

Neal walked aimlessly, his thoughts in turmoil. Elizabeth had lied to him, withheld information, had tried to make him believe that Peter had pulled away by his own choice.

Peter. Ever since that day in front of the bank, when he'd just been "James Bonds" to the agent on his trail, he'd been fascinated by the other man - wondering idly (then not so idly) about what was under those unflattering suits. Then the months, the years of working with him - seeing the brilliance, the low key humor, the compassion, the genuine desire to keep Neal on the right side of the law...the spark of attraction that grew until it mirrored his own. He didn't know when fascination became attraction, didn't know when he began wanting with Peter what he'd wanted with Kate. When Peter had confessed his feelings, he'd thought he'd hit the jackpot, like the U-boat treasure was just a trifle. And with that realization came the knowledge that he was not just in lust with his handler...he was deeply in love with him. And Elizabeth. He felt almost as strongly for her. But now he had to reconsider her feelings for both him and Peter in light of this...betrayal. Peter could have died and he wouldn't have known it for days, possibly for weeks afterward...all because Elizabeth had changed her mind about what she wanted.

His phone buzzed and he glanced at the display - Elizabeth - and let it roll to voicemail. He couldn't talk to her right now. Maybe he'd listen later.

Once he came back to his surroundings, he realized he wasn't far from June's and his path became more direct. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Moz.

"Password."

"Not now, Moz," Neal said. "Meet me at June's."

"What happened?" Moz half demanded.

"I'll explain when I see you," Neal said then hung up. He was suddenly glad he hadn't had the time to move more than a few of his things to Brooklyn. If it hadn't been for June's assurances that he'd always be welcome, he'd have had to spring for a hotel. Minutes later, he stepped into the familiar confines of the loft, a tension he hadn't realized he carried easing. He sat at the table, laying his phone down, seeing the blinking light that indicated he had a message. Curiosity made him play it.

_"Neal, this is ridiculous . If you'd just stop and think about it, you'd realize it's better if Peter stayed out of *us*. We have a good thing here and he'd just...complicate it. Face it. If you're honest, you'd know he's not good enough for you. He doesn't know you like I do, doesn't understand you, doesn't appreciate you like I do. Just come home. We'll talk about this and you'll see I'm right."_

"Neal?"

Neal turned to see Moz, watched as he selected a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass, still in something of a daze at Elizabeth's words.

"Here," Moz said, handing him a glass. "You could use this." He seated himself across from his protege. "Now. Spill. What's going on?"

In response, Neal replayed the message. "She knew, Moz," he said when it finished. "She knew Peter'd been shot, knew he could have died and deliberately didn't tell me."

"She wants you to herself," Moz said. "If the Suit had succumbed..."

Neal scrubbed his face. "How could I have misread things so badly? I'm _better_ than this."

"Love," Moz said. "You misread things with Kate because you loved her. It wasn't until things blew up - literally in that case - that you got the clarity of mind to see what she was doing. The same with Mrs. Suit. You love her so you never thought she'd lie to you, that she'd try to keep the one thing you want from you."

"She tried to _con _me Moz," Neal said, sounding irritated. "She tried to con me into believing Peter had changed his mind."__

__"What tipped you off?"_ _

__"When I remembered how old that message was," Neal said. "When I remembered it wasn't a new message, that she'd already listened to it. She hasn't been trying to find Peter - she doesn't want to and she doesn't want me to."_ _

__"You don't have to find him," Moz said, reaching into a pocket. "I already have."_ _

__"When?"_ _

__"Today," Moz said. "You owe me. I spent all day outside the Federal Building waiting for him then followed him home. Nice, fairly upscale apartment not far from the office. A quick look at the mailboxes told me which one."_ _

__"Moz..." Neal was touched by what his friend had done._ _

__"I know how much he means to you," Moz said. "And though I'm loathe to admit it, he's been good to you, he's good _for_ you."_ _

__

__Neal spent the night in the loft, briefly debating with himself on whether to tell Elizabeth. He didn't, still stinging from her betrayal, her manipulations. He was well aware of the irony of it - he'd betrayed and manipulated people both as a conman and as a consultant but he'd never done it to someone he cared about...someone he loved._ _

__He received another message from Elizabeth asking him to just please come back to Brooklyn, to her and ignored it. He ignored the next one as well which simply gave him an ultimatum - either she gave up on Peter or the two of them were over. If he managed to find Peter and was shot down, he'd better not expect her to take him back. In short it was either her or Peter. He couldn't have both._ _

__

__He spent the rest of the week at the loft, refusing Elizabeth's calls, not responding to the messages insisting he give her his decision. It wasn't that he hadn't decided - he'd essentially told her what it was when they'd first discussed the change in their relationship. Peter came first. He'd been up front about that. Up front about the fact that he'd fallen for the agent first, was more attracted to the other man, that she was just a bonus. But evidently, Elizabeth was convinced that their time in Europe had changed his mind, had dulled his feelings for Peter._ _

__

__That weekend, he made his way across town, hoping Peter hadn't decided to work. With that thought, he stopped by the Federal Building and spun a story about how he had information for Agent Burke about a case he was working and would it be possible to speak with him? A brief call up to the twenty first floor and the guard informed him that Agent Burke wasn't working that day._ _

__Twenty minutes later, he stood at the door of Peter's apartment, hands suddenly damp, wondering...hoping that Peter would listen, glad he hadn't erased Elizabeth's messages since Peter probably wouldn't believe him otherwise. Gathering his courage, he knocked._ _

__

__Peter frowned at the knock and went to answer. His surprise at who was on the other side swiftly turned to anger. "What do you want?" he asked, knowing he sounded rude._ _

__"I just want to talk, to explain," Neal said._ _

__"Why should I listen to you?"_ _

__"Because you don't have all the facts," Neal said. "You're missing key details." He waited as Peter made up his mind but was counting on his love of puzzles, his need to know all the details - especially when it came to him. Finally, interminable seconds later, Peter stepped aside and waved him in._ _

__Neal looked around as he took a seat on the couch, the mismatched furniture so very Peter, more comfort than style. He waited as Peter disappeared into the kitchen, accepting the beer Peter handed him when he returned._ _

__"So enlighten me," Peter said. "What am I missing?"_ _

__"First of all, I'm sorry," Neal said. "I never meant to hurt you." He paused, twisting the cap off the bottle. "Elizabeth knew you'd been shot," he said. "She knew and didn't tell me. I found out more or less by accident, when I checked her phone. The message wasn't knew when I heard it which means she already had." He sighed. "Peter, she changed her mind. I don't know when but it doesn't matter. She's the one who told me you'd understand if we went dark then she tried to convince me that you were cutting us out."_ _

__"Why should I believe you?" Peter asked._ _

__In response, Neal got his phone and called up the messages Elizabeth had left. Setting it on the table and setting it to speaker, he played the first one, watching Peter as he listened to his wife state that her husband wasn't good enough for Neal or, by extension, her. Watched as Peter listened to his wife beg Neal to come back to her then to the ultimatum she issued._ _

__"And what was your answer?" Peter asked as Neal put his phone away, his voice steady._ _

__"I haven't seen her since before she left that first message," Neal said._ _

__"Why not?"_ _

__"I can't be with her right now," Neal said. "Maybe never."_ _

__"But you two...fit," Peter said._ _

__"So did Kate and I," Neal said. "Look how that turned out." He let out a breath. "I don't know how to fix this Peter," he said. "I've wanted to b e with you since...I don't know...since I was still James Bonds, I guess. And working with you..." He huffed out a laugh. "Those last few weeks were torture for me, having to keep my hands off you when all I wanted to do was strip you down and find out what's under those suits, see if it lived up to my fantasies." He sipped his beer. "I'd still like to find out," he said. "There are a lot of things I'd like to find out. How you taste, what you look like when you come, how you kiss..."_ _

__"We've kissed before," Peter said._ _

__"And it wasn't nearly enough," Neal said. "I just got a taste and Elizabeth tried to make sure that's all I got."_ _

__"Why only her at first?"_ _

__"I wanted to be sure I'd be good enough for you," Neal said. "I thought she could show me how to avoid screwing things ups with you. You've seen the disaster my love life's been - Kate, Sara, Rebecca, Rachel, whoever she was. She kept you happy for fifteen years and I wanted to know how to do the same thing. I wanted to know how to keep you happy."_ _

__"And you couldn't find out with me there?"_ _

__"At the time..." Neal paused, his mouth twisted in a wry smile. "The thought of being with both of you at once was bit scary. You have no idea how...intimidating I find you sometimes. I thought you'd be...disappointed with me...that I wouldn't live up to the hype. Elizabeth was...easier. I know how to please a woman. Elizabeth knew how to please you."_ _

__Silence settled between them when Neal finished speaking - not comfortable but not awkward either. It was broken when Peter said softly, "I'm sorry."_ _

__"Why are you sorry?" Neal asked. "We were the ones who..."_ _

__"I'm sorry I didn't listen," Peter said. "I was too hurt, too angry...I jumped to a conclusion that was only half right without having all the facts."_ _

__"Understandable," Neal said. "We left you behind, alone for three months, weren't there for you when you needed us..." He t railed off, closing his eyes. "God, Peter. If you'd died..." He shook his head, unwilling to think about it._ _

__"What do you want, Neal?" Peter asked quietly._ _

__Neal considered the question carefully. He'd wanted to be one of three - him, Peter, Elizabeth - but in light of what he'd learned, he knew it would never happen. He had to choose who he wanted more. There was no question. "I want you," he said._ _

__"More than Elizabeth?"_ _

__"Instead of," Neal said._ _

__"I thought you loved her," Peter said._ _

__"So did I," Neal said. "But I loved you first. I made that clear to her from the beginning." He set his beer down. "So what now? Where do we go from here?"_ _

__"Where do you want to go?"_ _

__Neal's mouth quirked in a mischievous smile as he looked at the other man. "Right now? I want to take you into the bedroom and find out what's under those suits," he said._ _

__Almost despite himself, Peter felt himself respond and he saw Neal notice. "I've thought about that kiss...a lot," he said._ _

__"Me too," Neal said, his smile softening. "More, lately." He rose and took the few steps until he stood in front of Peter before dropping to his knees, insinuating himself between his legs., seeing Peter's eyes darken. Hesitantly, he reached up and cupped his face, feeling the late day scruff. As if some signal had been given, they leaned forward at the same time and their lips met in a gentle kiss._ _

__"It hurt, you know," Peter whispered when they parted. "It hurt thinking I was just a means to an end."_ _

__"You weren't," Neal said. "Not for me. But for Elizabeth...she ended up using you to get me." He fiddled with the buttons on Peter's shirt. "So, can I?" he asked, trailing his fingers down Peter's chest._ _

__"Can you what?"_ _

__"Find out what's under the suits," Neal said._ _

__Peter stood, pulling Neal to his feet. "I've kind of wondered what's under yours," he said, leading him into the bedroom. When Neal hesitated at the door, he paused. "Don't you want this?" he asked, uncertain._ _

__"God yes," Neal said. "It's just..."_ _

__"Just what?"_ _

__"I'm scared," Neal said, almost inaudibly._ _

__Peter cupped his face. "So am I," he said softly. "I've wanted this for so long...never thought I could have it...then all those weeks..."_ _

__"I know and I'm sorry..."_ _

__"It's all right," Peter said. "We both made mistakes. Not something that's new with us, is it?"_ _

__Suddenly, Neal surged forward, claiming Peter's mouth as he clutched at his shirt, his fingers swiftly undoing the buttons. He shoved the shirt from Peter's shoulders, pulling back to run his hands over Peter's bare chest, pausing at the scar and seeing how close it was to his heart - the heart he could feel beating faintly under his palm. He groaned softly as Peter divested him of his shirt then went to work on his belt and fly. "Peter..."_ _

__"Do try to keep up Caffrey," Peter said against his mouth, sounding amused._ _

__"That's funny," Neal said, unfastening Peter's belt. "You were usually the one playing catch up." He shoved Peter's jeans down, followed by his boxers. His breath caught, seeing Peter fully aroused, barely noticing when his own jeans and briefs slid to the floor. He backed Peter up until he lay flat on the bed, his eyes and hands wandering freely over the body he'd fantasized about for months. With a soft moan, he bent over and took him to the root._ _

__"Jesus," Peter gasped and bucked up before Neal tightened his grips on his hips. He fisted the sheets as Neal continued, his tongue and mouth driving him closer to the edge. "Neal..."_ _

__Neal understood and increased his efforts to drive Peter to climax, wanting - almost desperately - to taste his partner. Suddenly, warmth filled his mouth and he swallowed greedily, laving Peter's cock until he was sure he had all of it. He lunged up, capturing Peter's mouth, seeking a different taste in the depths._ _

__Peter rolled them over, breaking the kiss. "My turn," he said._ _

__Neal couldn't breathe as Peter slowly, methodically swallowed him down, his questions about Peter's experience with another man answered. "So, not so vanilla," he managed to gasp out, nearly coming as Peter applied gently suction, nearly coming when he chuckled. And then he _was_ coming, his mind almost short circuiting when he felt Peter's throat working around him. "Wow," he whispered, a little dazed when Peter lay beside him. "Any more surprises?"_ _

__"Possibly," Peter said. "But I have a question first."_ _

__"What?"_ _

__"Bottom or top?" Peter asked. low in his ear._ _

__Neal groaned, imagining Peter inside him, stretching him and felt himself start to respond. "I've been wanting you inside me for years..." he said. He turned to his side, his hand drifting down Peter's body until he wrapped his hand around his still impressive length, pleased when it began firming up under his touch. He began stroking, feeling Peter's breath hitch. "Lube...condom...now," he said._ _

__Peter rolled away, reaching into the bedside table. "I was hoping..." he said, seeing Neal's surprise when he retrieved a small bottle._ _

__"You forgot the condom,' Neal said._ _

__"Do I need one?" Peter asked._ _

__"I'm clean," Neal said. "And it's just been Elizabeth since..."_ _

__"I trust you," Peter said, placing a finger over his lips._ _

__Neal had to back himself down from the edge two or three times as Peter prepared him, his fingers brushing over his sweet spot. "now Peter," he breathed. "Please..." Peter settled between his legs and it was with a sense of relief when he felt Peter slowly breach him, seating himself with one smooth thrust. He pulled Peter's head down, kissing him hungrily as he began thrusting._ _

__"Jesus Neal..." Peter groaned._ _

__"Yeah..."_ _

__Peter picked up speed and the only sounds were the creak of bedsprings and harsh breathing as they approached climax. Peter wrapped a hand around Neal's cock and stroked once, twice before Neal stiffened and came with a strangled moan, which set off Peter's orgasm._ _

__Spent, Peter half collapsed onto his partner as Neal slowly straightened his legs. "That was...better than I imagined," Neal said once he caught his breath._ _

__"Low expectations?" Peter asked as he lay beside him._ _

__"I've never underestimated you, Peter," Neal said. He turned to face the other man as Peter did the same. Once again, he ran his hand down Peter's chest, pausing on the scar. "I should have been there,' he said quietly. "I _would _have been there if I'd known."___ _

____"But you didn't," Peter said, clasping his hand and pressing it over his heart. "They called Elizabeth because she was my wife. Not your fault if she didn't tell you."_ _ _ _

____Neal pushed him gently to his back. "Now, since I really didn't get a very good look..." he said. He took his time, inspecting every inch of Peter's body, noting the smooth skin, the subtle musculature, the faintly chisled abs. It was a body gained through hard work, not hours at a gym._ _ _ _

____So?" Peter asked when he finished._ _ _ _

____"It's a shame you insist on hiding this," Neal said. "I'd imagined it was gorgeous but it looks like my imagination fell short."_ _ _ _

____"Gorgeous?" Peter questioned, quirking a brow._ _ _ _

____"Yes Peter, gorgeous," Neal said. "You're gorgeous, hot, sexy as hell, brilliant, kind, compassionate and Elizabeth is an idiot for forgetting that."_ _ _ _

____"It's okay if you still love her," Peter said._ _ _ _

____"I'm not sure I did," Neal said. "I think I was more...infatuated. She made me choose and I didn't hesitate. I've wanted you longer, loved you longer. Losing her wouldn't hurt as much as losing you."_ _ _ _

____"You won't," Peter said as Neal settled next to him, head on his shoulder._ _ _ _

____"Good, because I'm in this for the long haul," Neal said then stifled a yawn. "Get some sleep because I'm not even close to being done with you yet."_ _ _ _

____"So you'll be here?" Peter asked._ _ _ _

____"Of course," Neal said._ _ _ _

____With that assurance, Peter allowed himself to drift to sleep, the hard planes of Neal's body pressed against him a welcome feeling._ _ _ _


End file.
